If you usually root for the underdog, then you should have been at the Bush Florida Open held at The Landings Yacht, Golf & Tennis this week. Defending champion Chelsea Preeg of Naples, FL was seeded No.1 in the Girls 18s, but fell in the round of 16 to Carling Seguso, the hard-hitting No.15 seed of Bradenton, FL in three tough sets (3-6, 6-3, 3-6).
Girls Top Seeds Fall
Preeg fought till the bitter end, but Seguso powered her way to the win. The No.2-seeded girl in the 18s, Morgan Frank of Oldsmar, FL, appeared to be on her way to an excellent showing, but had to withdraw due to injury, giving unseeded Shoko Okuda of Tenafly, NJ a pass to the round of 16. Okuda then lost to Angela Chupa, the No.14 seed of Bradenton, FL, 6-0, 6-1.
Boys 18s No.1 Bows out in Semis
Boys 18s No.1 seed Ryan Kim of Miami didn’t lose more than three games until the semifinals, where he ran head-on into unseeded Matthew Kandath, a 15-year-old from Ganesvoort, NY. Kandath’s big serve and all-court game toppled the top-seeded Kim, and Kandath will face unseeded Spencer Wolf of Coral Springs, FL, who took down the No.2 seed, Steven Williams of Manlius, NY, in straight-sets (6-4, 7-5). Williams had lost only eight games in his toughest match through the quarterfinals, but Wolf brought too much game to the table.
Boys 16s Top-Seed loses in 2nd Round
It wasn’t much different in the Boys 16s where the No.1 seed Christopher Jackman of Key Biscayne, FL succumbed to Paul Polarczyk of Wesley Chapel, FL in a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 second-round face-off. Polarczyk beat every other opponent through the quarterfinals in straight-sets, before losing to No.5 seed Frederick Saba of Fort Lauderdale, FL, 1-6, 1-6. Harry Seaborn, the No.2 seed in the boys 16s, held his seed with relative ease, winning every match in straight sets, until his loss to sixth-seeded Connor Smith of Tampa, FL, 3-6, 2-6.
Unseeded Van Nguyen Reaches Girls 16s Final
Given the trend of top seeds falling by the wayside, it was no surprise that the No.1 seed in the Girls 16s, Jennifer Kellner of Smithtown, NY, also fell before the final match. Unseeded Chanelle Van Nguyen of Coconut Grove, FL upset four seeded players, including Kellner in the semis (6-3, 7-5), to make it to the finals. Van Nguyen then lost (0-6, 6-4, 5-7) to No.3-seed Mary Clayton, of Plantation, FL.
The Clayton Girls Dominate
Speaking of Mary Clayton, she and sister Courtney are one of the better stories to emerge at the Bush Florida Open. Courtney was seeded No.3, but after a nervous first-round match in which she lost her only set of the tourney, she claimed every other match, including the final (6-2, 6-2), in straight sets.
First Siblings to Sweep Titles
With their sweep of the girls singles divisions, the Claytons become the first siblings to be simultaneous champions of the Bush Florida Open, one of the nation’s upper-echelon tournaments for juniors. According to Courtney, the Williams sisters have nothing on her and Mary…except “pro careers, and a few grand slams,” she quips with a laugh. Their next major campaign will be at the National Clay Court event next month in Memphis, TN (18s) and Virginia Beach, VA (16s).
Fourteen-Year-Old Phenom Bangoura
Fourteen-year-old Sekou Coker Bangoura of Bradenton, FL also spiced up the Bush Florida Open. The young phenom, ranked No.2 in the boys 16s division in FL, reached the round of 16 before losing to finalist Matthew Kandath, 6-0, 6-0. Bangoura has been touted as one of the junior players to watch in coming years, and he has aspirations of reaching the very top of the tennis world. Under the tutelage of his father, Sekou Bangoura, Sr., young Bangoura is an outstanding golfer, pianist and chess player.
Speaking of Bangoura, Ron Treaseh, Secretary of the Lee County Tennis Association, a member of the Landings Tennis Association, and a member of an international chess club, said, “he [young Bangoura] was the first player to beat me in chess since I started the club here four years ago.”
Physical Maturity All Bangoura Needs
Junior’s body is struggling to keep up with his precocious mind, but given his performances on the tennis court and golf course, it is catching up in a hurry. When his body does catch up to his mind, Bangoura’s dreams of holding a US Open trophy may not be far behind.
Bush Florida Open Enhances Career Options
Capturing the Bush Florida Open is a small but significant step in realizing dreams of tennis glory, and/or in paving the path to a college scholarship. The Clayton sisters took a giant step today, and one can’t help but believe that Sekou Bangoura isn’t far behind.
